OVER 40 job vacancies will be filled as the opening of Dunfermline's TK Maxx Store draws closers.

Interviews for posts at the new shop - which is due to open on the Carnegie Retail Park next month - have been taking place this week when figures have shown another drop in unemployment levels across Fife.

The number of people claiming Universal Credit now sits at 8,135, 140 less than the previous year. The number of people aged 50 and over claiming the benefit went down by five per cent however there was a seven per cent rise among people aged between 18 and 24.

READ MORE: Recruitment to begin for new TK Maxx store

Dunfermline-based Employer Manager for DWP, Phil Martin, said Fife was doing "pretty well" despite unemployment levels increasing across Scotland.

"It still got an overall reduction in claimant figures," he said. "The 50-plus customers figures have dropped significantly. The young ones are beginning to increase again but there is no reason we can see for that.

"From our perspective, there has been a lot of focus on the 50-plus customers and that is beginning to pay dividends. We need to look at what additional support to put in place locally for young people."

Mr Martin said there were still vacancies across all sectors in the region.

"There are lots of jobs," he said. "We are working quite closely with MOWI – they have just started 10 people - and TK Maxx have been interviewing in the job centre for the last two and a half weeks.

"Their inductions are on August 28 so they are looking to get people signed up and that will be 45 job offers there.

"We are beginning to plan for a number of different sectors for work academy programmes. We are looking at construction again and care continues to be an issue.

"We also have got a lot of security work going on, at Babcock and also at the Police Scotland estates.

"There is plenty on the go across the whole of Fife vacancy-wise."